"Dirty Jobs" host asks Romney for focus on skilled labor

Mike Rowe, host of the Discovery Channel series "Dirty Jobs," is seen at the Ebonex Corporation in Melvindale, Mich., which manufactures bone black pigments found in paints, lacquers, plastics, wood grain stains, artist colors, vinyl

/ Jeffrey Sauger/Discovery Channel

The popular host of "Dirty Jobs," Mike Rowe, entered the political fray once again this week by writing a letter to Mitt Romney asking that he begin a "national conversation" about the lack of skilled, blue-collar workers.

Rowe, an advocate of skilled labor, argues that the "growing skills gap" is problematic for a country that needs trained laborers but cannot find enough people to fill the jobs, despite high unemployment.

"Even as unemployment remains sky high, a whole category of vital occupations has fallen out of favor, and companies struggle to find workers with the necessary skills," Rowe wrote, adding that the country has a "ridiculously narrow view of education" by prioritizing traditional education and labeling vocational schools "alternative."

"Certainly, we need more jobs, and you were clear about that in Tampa. But the Skills Gap proves that we need something else too. We need people who see opportunity where opportunity exists. We need enthusiasm for careers that have been overlooked and underappreciated by society at large. We need to have a really big national conversation about what we value in the workforce," Rowe wrote.

Rowe said he is "not an apologist for Organized Labor or for Management" but that he'll vote for Romney in November if he "read the whole" letter.

On Thursday, Romney's campaign aide Richard Gorka posted a picture on Twitter of Romney reading what Gorka said is the letter on his iPad.

Gov catching up on news after debate prep, incl. an interesting letter about skilled labor from @mikeroweworks twitter.com/Rick_Gorka/sta...

-- Rick Gorka (@Rick_Gorka) September 6, 2012

Rowe wrote a letter to President Obama after his inauguration in January 2009 but said in his letter to Romney that he never received a response from Mr. Obama. http://www.mikeroweworks.com/scrap-yard/feedback-and-stuff/letter-to-the-president/

[Robby33383]

Always remember, the Democrats feast on the poor in the inner cities. They keep them down, throw some food stamps at them, promise a new bus, they never get out of Dodge. Mike Rowe is 100% right. Train people to work these jobs. Unfortunately, the Democrats want them dependent on Government. A democrats worst nightmare is an Educated Voter!!!!

[RollotheNorman]

Actually an educated voter is the RepubliCONs worst nightmare.

[vpcharan]

These people come out with sound bites like " Lack of Skills" and need for "Skilled Labor" and never mention what those skills are. For heavens sake, state what skills you are talking about. I know why they don't dare mention because they are looking for people who will be willing to work for cheap wages of India and China.

[AOCGUY]

by joesapper September 8, 2012 5:08 PM EDT
TO aocguy , you will vote for the obama way no doubt

Who I vote for really isnt the point here, your post made no sense.

[JV1970]

Mike is absolutely right! In a few years there won't be enough skilled laborers because those jobs simply don't pay enough. If we don't know how or if we aren't physically able to fix our own roofs, plumbing, etc., we could be in real trouble!

Also we may think our roads are in bad condition now but they're in great shape compared to what they'll be without skilled labor to fix them!

I think that probably the only skilled laborers that there might be too many of in a few years are computer repair people.

I know that most people want their children to attend actual four year colleges and go after the high paying jobs. However, I don't think some kids are really happy attending four year colleges and should be attending good technical or trade schools. This world needs skilled laborers. We can't do without them!

The government needs to stop taxing employers so much that they can't afford to hire more laborers and pay them decent wages too!

[JV1970]

That's true! I completely agree!

[AOCGUY]

by Sam671 September 8, 2012 11:15 AM EDT
You can directly thank the illegal Mexicans for the lowering of labor related wages!

How many illegals are filling skilled trades jobs? None! The whole point Mr Rowe was making is that we have lost skilled craftsmen and those jobs remain unfilled.

[jmoss1976]

According to Gallup, history says Romney should win. http://macsmind.com/wordpress/2012/09/according-to-gallup-romney-should-win-the-election/d

[walkthetalk]

OH YEA! I just can't hardly wait to reside in a very nice Country that would look alot like North Korea with a little BLING! thrown in. Where we can all be starvingly equal. Just imagine we get to keep our Rim's , (with no Cars} We would still have our grilles, tattoos's and pierceing's. It just seems so DARN! wonderful. I know this is what Heaven is must be like. Just a true UTOPIA. WHOOP DEE DOO! WOOP DEE DOO!

[sandy 1027]

The problem with Mr. Rowe's appeal is that Romney completely left the average person in this country who gets up and goes to work everyday out of the convention; and he, and the GOP have not been friendly towards labor-period.They have been vehemently opposed to the primary advocates of advancement for employees in this country-unions .The GOP spent most of their time in Tampa either pandering to women and minorities( although Romney isn't sure if he's for the Fair Pay Act or not to this day,and the GOP's platform embraces a radical "personhood " view on abortion that many Christians, like myself, even find objectionable; and was so extremist that it was voted down in Mississippi, one of the most conservative states in the country.And by the way, there were a number of blacks and hispanics that were put on the stage, but there didn't seem to be that many in the hall, where it really counts).The rest of the time was spent either trying to convince the public that Mitt Romney is likable; making tepid,half-hearted attempts to promote him as a candidate;or advancing their silly "We built this" theme, predicated on the false premise that the president doesn't think that they did.[The whole "We built this" theme was based on the exploitation of a sentence taken out of the scope or context of an entire line of thought in a speech given by the president.Most people who heard the remarks in their full context, and relative to the rest of the speech,understood the president's point. Romney's misuse of the statement was debunked by fact-checkers, and the media, in general.F.Y.I.:Romney himself made similar statements to Olympic participants around 2001 or 2002].Romney-
Ryan have expressed some ideas on general education that would lead one to believe that they have written off large segments of our youth; and their overall budget proposals are anything but kind to students from K-college.It doesn't give me a lot of hope that they would double down on job training.In fact. Ryan's budget would make cuts even there.

[GOP-R--Con-Men]

Republicans are a cancer on our great nation. They have use their public office to subvert democracy and our constitution with their bogus voter I.D. Laws and obstruction of legislation in congress to help struggling Americans. The media is derelict in its dty to the American public. It has not made their subversion front page news as it deserves. How it the subversion of democracy and our constitution not a HUGE STORY DESERVING OF CONTINUAL FRONT PAGE COVERAGE?

[bluejacket2-2009]

The United States is ranked 13th in the world (200 nations) in full time employment vs. population at 45.3%! Could it be better? Sure, Sweden leads the world at 52% but it could worse, nations in Central Africa are less than 10%! The GOP is making way too much out of monthly job reports from the Federal government; America is working and working more every month since 2010.